This refers to more than being an absence of disease, as the assessment aims to understand not only a patient’s physical health, but their mental state and social well-being. Health assessment contains two major components of physical examination and health interview. Health interview, as a discussion between the nurse and patient, collects subjective data, which is any information that cannot be measured by the nurse. Such things can include family history, lifestyle, reason for seeking care, past health, personal concerns and pain levels. The physical examination component is an investigation of the subject using the four techniques of inspection, palpation, percussion and auscultation to assess the major systems of the patient’s body (Forbes …show more content…
al., 2016). Nurses predominantly benefit the patient from conducting this examination as this health assessment focuses on all areas of the patient’s body, making it one of the simplest tools to utilise in holistic caring, which is the foundation of what nurses are (Estes, 2014). Due to health in a modern context being a correlation of wellness between body, mind and spirit, holistic outlooks on caring place nurses in the most beneficial position to improve their patient’s life quality, starting with the health interview and physical …show more content…
Across the numerous bodily systems, the physical exam is the first point of contact upon a patient’s admission to hospital that can indicate the immediate actions to be taken to improve the patient’s health and wellbeing within all aspects of their life. Physical assessment can be adjusted to further suit personal needs. For example, if the patient has a physically intense job, more emphasis can be placed on musculoskeletal assessment, while overweight patients would require a heavier cardiac assessment (Rasmor & Brown, 2003). Therefore, despite being a relatively simple exam, nurses are placed in a fantastic position to help their patients by ensuring holistic care is being carried out, as well as having the opportunity to improve other areas of their
Even though skills along with knowledge are key components of nursing, in my opinion, compassion is crucial to the practice. Nursing is a public service and commitment that takes an irrefutable desire to help people in need, When I enter the field, even as a student, my standpoint will always be to treat my patients how I would want an individual to treat my family. Henderson’s concept of holistic care fits together with my beliefs about what nursing embodies. In practice, my goals are to always view each patient as an individual, center my care on the patient and their varying needs be it personal, emotional, or physical, and to encourage patients to be active in their care in hopes of improving outcomes. I will also strive to bring colleagues together and collaborate with them to provide the best care for our patients.
Thornton, L. (2014, January 1). Welcome to AHNA: What is Holistic Nursing? Retrieved November 12, 2014, from
My philosophy of nursing focuses on making sure that nurses provide patient-centered care and to make patients feel like they are genuinely being cared for. Nurses must be guided by altruism. Nursing health care policies are rooted in the principle of altruism and nurses who take the initiative to take patients concerns seriously and show interest in their well-being, will only continue to grow and have satisfactory results. Watson viewed the individual as mind-body-soul and also, that there should be an internal balance between health and harmony (Zerwekh & Zerwekh Garneau, 2015). This is similar to how me and Watson see an individual because if a patient is not good in health, he or she will not be in harmony with oneself or others. There will not be an equilibrium with mind, body and soul, causing illness, depression and
During my career as a registered nurse I have had the privilege of caring for my patients at the bedside and meeting their needs holistically. Additionally, the safety of my patients is one of the most important aspects of my current role. The experience of advocating for my patients during my nursing career has taught me to place my patient’s health and wellbeing first. The second most important aspect of nursing that I have learned during my career is how to meet my patient’s needs as a whole, not just physically but also emotionally and psychologically applying the holistic approach to each patient. I believe that the patient’s needs
My philosophy is based on my personal values and beliefs as it relates to the body of work in nursing. The practice of nursing not only involves applying knowledge but the ability to differentiate the needs of the client and being empathetic to their needs. Hence, the importance of holistic nursing and not only being for the client but for the clients family as well. Holistic nursing is defined as “all nursin...
Every person’s needs must be recognized, respected, and filled if he or she must attain wholeness. The environment must attuned to that wholeness for healing to occur. Healing must be total or holistic if health must be restored or maintained. And a nurse-patient relationship is the very foundation of nursing (Conway et al 2011; Johnson, 2011). The Theory recognizes a person’s needs above all. It sets up the conducive environment to healing. It addresses and works on the restoration and maintenance of total health rather than only specific parts or aspect of the patient’s body or personality. And these are possible only through a positive healing relationship between the patient and the nurse (Conway et al, Johnson).
Reflecting back on the all the information learned this semester, I am amazed at how much I learned. Working in healthcare makes you aware of a lot of the topics that were covered, however, when you apply it to yourself, in a personal relationship, it becomes much more powerful what the impact of each topic is.
Taking everything in and questioning it gives a more well rounded and in depth knowledge to base each philosophy off of. The main purpose is to care for the individual and I believe holistic approach is a good way to do so. Holistic nursing places emphasis on both the environment and treatment of the patient to include patient’s uniqueness as human beings along with their cultural views, values, and beliefs. (Flagg, 2015). Nursing can be very broad. It is goal oriented to each patient so that his or her individual health needs are met. Some patients could benefit tremendously just by taking them outside to get fresh air or by just sitting down to talk to
This piece of work will be based on the pre-assessment process that patients go through on arrival to an endoscopy unit in which I was placed during my second year studying Adult Diploma Nursing. I will explore one patient’s holistic needs, identifying the priorities of care that the patient requires; I will then highlight a particular priority and give a rationale behind this. During an admission I completed under the supervision of my mentor, I was pre-assessing a 37 year old lady who had arrived at the unit for an upper gastrointestinal endoscopy. During the pre-assessment it was important that a holistic assessment is performed as every patient is an individual with unique care needs as the patient outlined in this piece of work has learning disabilities it was imperative to identify any barriers to communication (Nursing standards 2006). There were a number of nursing priorities identified, the patient also has hypertension.
Nursing and Qualities That I Possess to become a Good Nurse Nursing is the act of safely caring, protecting and improving our clients’/patients’ health and ability without causing any further harm or disability to them. Our primary goal is to restore and maintain good health physically, spiritually and psychologically. It is a science, such that one has to apply the nursing knowledge and technical aspects of practice. However, it is important to incorporate the act of patient-centered care, which is defined according to QSEN/NOF, as holistic care that recognizes the patient as the source of control and full-partner in providing compassionate and coordinated care with respect for the patient’s desire, values, needs and preferences. It has to incorporate with the nurse’s personality, i.e., certain qualities that the individual possess.
Simpson, C. (2007) ‘Mental Health part3: Assessment and Treatment of Depression’ British Journal of Healthcare assistants. pp 167-171.
When I became a nurse, in my heart, I knew that I was a caring person; however, I did not have a caring theory driving my practice. After studying Watson’s Human Caring Science Theory, the theory is consistent with my values, which emphasizes a holistic approach with mind, body, and spirit through a caring nurse patient relationship in an environment that promotes healing, comfort, and dignity. Human Caring Science gives the privilege of viewing human life with wonder, respect, and appreciates small and large miracles, which allows the inner world of the patient and nurse to come together in a unique human relationship, in the here and now moment (Watson, 2012, p. 24).
The nurse’s ability to keep safety as a priority upon all interactions with the patient is essential in decreasing the risk for infection, medical errors, and adverse reaction to treatments and procedures (Zerwekh & Garneau, 2015). Safety, when looked at as a priority, also enhances patient outcomes. Holistic nursing is an important concept of nursing as it focuses on the patient as a whole rather than solely the disease process (Papathanasiou, Sklavou, & Kourkout, 2013). By allowing the patient to be treated in a way that incorporates the biological, psychosocial, emotional, and financial side of things, it improves the patient’s feelings of autonomy and “introduces a less one-dimensional approach to treating disease” (Papathanasiou, Sklavou, & Kourkout, 2013). With that being said, it is important for the nurse to function as intended under the degree earned and licensure earned to provide excellent
According to Mary Fran Tracy, holistic care means providing care that encompasses a person as a human being, mind, body and spirit. Holism involves a deep understanding of each individual patient, appreciating that the disease does not define the patient, but that the person is embedded in a transient unfolding life.2 I will apply this to my practice by integrating the Shuler Nurse Practitioner practice model which is based on a “holistic understanding of human health and illness in older adults that integrates medical and nursing perspectives.”3 I will apply this to my practice by attempting to understand why my patient is not taking their blood pressure medication instead of immediately labeling them as non-compliant. Some religions believe that disease is a punishment from God and only he can give or take away the illness. I will integrate the whole person, mind, body and spirit in order to better my practice and increase patient...
Family is the basic unit of society. A family is a set of interacting individuals related by blood, marriage, cohabitation, or adoption who interdependently perform relevant functions by fulfilling expected roles. Health practices are those activities performed by individuals or families as a whole to promote health and prevent diseases. The relationship between members of family influences the understanding of behavior, which is demonstrated in family’s structural, functional, communicational, and developmental patterns (American Academy of Pediatrics, 2003; Bonell et al., 2003).Within families, children and adults are nurtured and taught about health values by word and by example, and it is within families that members first learn to make choices to promote health (Edelman & Mandle, 2010, p. 172).